# Favorite under $20 wines



## glovepuppy (Aug 4, 2004)

I'm slowly getting into enjoying wine (can't pound beer after beer and function properly the next day like I used to in college). I'd like to get a list of wines to try, and with the amount of money I bring in and the wife takes out I'd like to keep it to the under $20 a bottle.

Here are a few of my current favorites.

Bogle Chardonnay - I prefer red wine over white, but this white wine is outstanding and currently my go to wine.

Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet - smooth yet spicy finish

Greg Norman - every type I've tried is great.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2006)

Try any of the Columbia Winery wines. If you like sweeter whites, their Cellarmasters Reisling is excellent. A small winery, so you might have to look some to find them. Most are around $10-15 per bottle.

NOT the same as Columbia Crest Winery. They ARE in the Columbia Valley region of Washington State.


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## clampdown (Feb 7, 2006)

It is super cheap, but i LOVE any red wine by Smoking Loon.


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

I'm from the finger lake region of upstate New York and we love our wines. Dr. Konstantin Frank makes a variety of amazing wines that are all under 20 a bottle.

My personal favorite white wine is his Johannisberg Semi-dry Riesling. It always win a buttload of gold medals. Its a little sweet and perfect with summer meals. He also makes a wonderful dry Riesling and chardonnay.

He also makes some amazing traditional reds such as pinot, merlot, and cabernet.

his website is: http://www.drfrankwines.com/index.html


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

I forgot to mention that if you are interested and can't find these wines I am interested in trades.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

Widely available, in absolutely no particular order, and without regard for spelling:

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz
Trimbach Riesling
Trimbach Gewurtzraminer (with a little age)
Marques de Casa Concho Cabernet
BV Napa Vallley Cab
Renwood Zin
Trapiche Cab & Malbec
Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserve Cab
Yalumba Cab
Sterling Reserve Cab
Viu Manet Cab
Terrazas Cab & Malbec

There are a bunch more, but I can't think of them right now. Most of these will run $10-$16, btw.

I'll add more when I get home and can look at my wine racks.


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

Croatan and the Kid got most of the ones I was thinking of listed. Also look local. I was suprised to find out we have "legitimate" winerys here in arkansas. The wines they produce are very enjoyable. Swing by your local spirit shop and ask them as well. A good relationship with your local shop is good both in drink and smoke.

By the way.....DOWN WITH THE TARHEELS!!!!!!....now I feel better.



J/K


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## kjpman (Dec 31, 1999)

almost anything Penfolds, Ravenswood Zin, Dynamite Cab. Jadot Bougelias ?sp?, oh shit man, i havnt had enough to give this the right amount of though :w ill check back !!!


...kjpman


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

croatan said:


> Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz


No kidding!

This past Saturday night, I really enjoyed a bottle of this. It was one that you sent in a contest prize a while back. I believe it was the 2001 Reserve and it was terrific.

Thanks, James.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

pnoon said:


> No kidding!
> 
> This past Saturday night, I really enjoyed a bottle of this. It was one that you sent in a contest prize a while back. I believe it was the 2001 Reserve and it was terrific.
> 
> Thanks, James.


Glad you liked it, Peter. I love this wine and serve it all the time.


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## wrinklenuts (Dec 31, 2005)

Anything Columbia Crest.


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## scc135 (Feb 6, 2006)

Rosemount Estates Showroom Reserve Shiraz - just 1 cent shy of 20, but best shiraz I know. 2001 was the best year. full, complex, wonderful on the palate. 2002 isn't as good but if you like it smokey, you'll like 2002. 

BV (Beaulieu Vineyard) Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon - I get this for 13 bucks. 2001 was also a very good year. sweeter than your average cab so if you're more into merlots (like myself) you'll like this. My friend who's a heavy cab drinker hates this.


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## mels95yj (Jun 4, 2005)

Oooh, oooh. I finally get to answer a question in here! :r

My favorite wine is Banrock Station White Shiraz. It's not real dry, but not real sweet neither. It's hard to find, so when I find it, I usually buy 4 or 5 bottles. I think it's around $10 a bottle. I tend to like the middlel-of-the road wines when it comes to dryness. HTH

Mel


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

Yellowtail Merlot. About $8 a bottle, and absolutely awesome with a good cigar.


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## GhostDawg (Sep 17, 2005)

Marquis Phillips Sara's Blend from Aussy land. Fantastic and highly rated, if you can find it.


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

Best kept secret.
Just about any Malbec is under $20 and will rival wines costing two to three times as much.
One of the nicest wines out of Argentina.


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## TheSmokingHiker (Jan 11, 2005)

Boone's Farm Strawberry hill...


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## diet069 (Sep 17, 2005)

TheSmokingHiker said:


> Boone's Farm Strawberry hill...


What's the word? Thunderbird
WHat's the price? A dollar twice
What's the reaction? Satisfaction

In a more serious note. I think there are tons of wines out there for less than $20. Rodney Strong has at least one in each varietal. Chateau Souveraign also ranks high on my list.


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## floydp (Jun 6, 2004)

Ripple! Its better than the nipple!

I'll tell Anita to post her favorites, I'll stick to throwing down beers Patrick.


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## Ms. Floydp (Jan 7, 2005)

Locally we have Kroger's and Food Lion to depend on.. but I always pick up the Yellow Tail Shiraz.. it's on of my favorites locally so far. Love the Marquishillips Shiraz but can't get that locally. Picked up a bottle when we were in Louisville. I picked up a bottle of Beringer's Cabernet/Shiraz while in Oklahoma and it was GREAT! It's one that I pick up alot, so far I've really enjoyed all the Beringer's. 

Found out recently that we have a wine store here in town but I've haven't been there yet.. actually a little afraid to go..LOL Gonna hit it soon and I'm sure I'll have more to post.

I bought a bottle of Fat Bastard Shiraz just cause I thought the name was kewl but I don't care for it. Too dry for my tastes.


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## SD Beerman (Feb 13, 2006)

pnoon said:


> No kidding!
> 
> This past Saturday night, I really enjoyed a bottle of this. It was one that you sent in a contest prize a while back. I believe it was the 2001 Reserve and it was terrific.
> 
> Thanks, James.


That was good
:al


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## glovepuppy (Aug 4, 2004)

Blueface said:


> Best kept secret.
> Just about any Malbec is under $20 and will rival wines costing two to three times as much.
> One of the nicest wines out of Argentina.


Recently had a bottle of Norton Malbec. I was quite impressed with this stuff. Very smooth with a great taste. I'm going back to get a bottle of the Reserve Malbec they make.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions -- looks like a got some drinking to do.

P.S. Had a bottle of Da Vinci Chianti w/ a fat T-bone steak tonight. I give it a big thumbs up.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Tain - Ballbuster. Super thick, over the top flavor bomb. If you're into Aussie Shiraz, this one is crazy! Should be around $16.00


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

diet069 said:


> What's the word? Thunderbird
> WHat's the price? A dollar twice
> What's the reaction? Satisfaction
> 
> In a more serious note. I think there are tons of wines out there for less than $20. Rodney Strong has at least one in each varietal. Chateau Souveraign also ranks high on my list.


What's the time? Any time


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

glovepuppy said:


> Recently had a bottle of Norton Malbec. I was quite impressed with this stuff. Very smooth with a great taste. I'm going back to get a bottle of the Reserve Malbec they make.
> 
> Thanks everyone for the suggestions -- looks like a got some drinking to do.
> 
> P.S. Had a bottle of Da Vinci Chianti w/ a fat T-bone steak tonight. I give it a big thumbs up.


Norton's is a decent Malbec.
You want to be blown away, look for anything from Bodegas Lopez (stands for Lopez stores).
Also, any Malbec from Luigi Bosca.
Argentina also has a great Montechenot wine that is a Malbec, Cab, Merlot blend that is fantastic.

Also, give Chilean wine a shot.
Los Vascos is owned by Rothchild (France) and puts out some awesome wines that resemble French reds at a fraction of the cost.


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## DaveNJ (May 3, 2004)

Blueface said:


> Best kept secret.
> Just about any Malbec is under $20 and will rival wines costing two to three times as much.
> One of the nicest wines out of Argentina.


I completely second the vote for Malbec. I think Trapiche, Trumpeter and Febus Malbecs are all terrific and are under $10. Lots of nice Chilean Cabs and Merlots for cheap also (Santa Caralina, Santa Rita, MontGras have done well for me). For whites, I think the YellowTail Pinot Grigio is a great buy. The Aussies are not known for this wine by its as good as many more expensive Italian versions. Hogue (Wash State) Riesling is one of the few whites I enjor with a cigar


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## Ms. Floydp (Jan 7, 2005)

While in Louisville this past weekend Kerry (Drill) brought an awesome Port and told us that the Cockburn's Ruby Red is a great Port too so before we left we picked up a bottle and tonight we had our first sampling.. it's a VERY GOOD Port! Will certainly be something that we'll keep on our shelf.


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## FattyD (Dec 18, 2005)

Blueface said:


> Best kept secret.
> Just about any Malbec is under $20 and will rival wines costing two to three times as much.
> One of the nicest wines out of Argentina.


So true Blueface. I been enjoying the one by Terrazza (I may be mis-spelling here), but there are some great values coming from Argentina. I believe this one retails for about $16.00. Personally I am a BIG Calif Cab fan and this holds up to just about any in that price point. Speaking of cabs, these are my "Fatty-Favorites":

St. Francis, Fetzer 5RR, Cellar 8, Twenty Bench, KJ Grand Reserve and, my favorite for JUST under $20, Franciscan.

Love that Leaf and Libation!!!


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## par (May 22, 2005)

Its tough to find huge value under 20 imho. Under 30 is quite a bit easier.

for anyone who loves spicy food, this is the perfect wine (i have it with thai food all the time): Rubicon estate, captains reserve sauvignon blanc (napa valley) for $19.00. only available here: http://store.rubiconestate.com/

I'd say that if you like merlot you may consider tasting a bottle of the hunter hill merlot. Quite nice and if you aren't close by santa cruz you can still get a bottle of it online from the winery. $17 and quite enjoyable. http://www.hunterhillwines.com/wines.html

also... i almost don't want to give this out, its soo delicious... but storrs makes one of the best zins in california. Their lions oak is absolutely fantastics (but perpetually sold out). The rusty ridge is awesome (but not quite up the level that lions oak is at). Still, give the guys at storrs a call and convince them to ship you a bottle. And if that doesn't work out, send me a PM and maybe we can work something out (they are about forty minutes from my house). http://www.storrswine.com/Wines.dll/Wine?ID=7 Its one of the best wines you can get your hands on under $20 and i think it's a steal (i buy this stuff by the case).


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

par said:


> Its tough to find huge value under 20 imho. Under 30 is quite a bit easier.


If speaking in terms of a Napa/Sonoma/Alxander Valley, I couldn't agree with you more. I find you really have to hit the $30 mark at minimum for these wines.

However, if opening it up to other parts of the world, I respectfully disagree.
Find your way to Argentina and Chile and I think you will reconsider your statement. Just incredible stuff available for the $15-20 range that blows the senses away and easily rival any of the California wines costing $30-35.
Keep in mind that Argentina has a heavy Italian heritage/history. Chile's biggest wineries are owned by the French like Rothchild with Los Vascos. This stuff just makes for a great wine making combination.

Just one thing, lets not spread it around too much or we will see the price double.


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## txmatt (May 22, 2004)

I LOVE the Trimbachs that Croatan suggested, tried it first at the Refectory in Columbus and have tried to keep a bottle around since. If you haven't tried their Pinot Gris give that a shot too!

I would also like to recommend Gnarly Head Zin. I have been mentioning it in the Food&Drink forum for the past 6 months or so and I am seeing it at more and more stores and restaurants now. Unfortunately the bottle price has gone up from the $10 range to the $15 range in that time as well.

-Matt-



croatan said:


> Widely available, in absolutely no particular order, and without regard for spelling:
> 
> Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz
> Trimbach Riesling
> ...


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

txmatt said:


> If you haven't tried their Pinot Gris give that a shot too!


Yep, the Pino Gris is great--I can't believe I left it out. Their Pinot Blanc, though good for a pinot blanc, is pretty much the only one I'm not wild about.


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## smokepiper (Jan 16, 2006)

The wife and I really enjoy Portocolo from Spain. Nice and spicy. Goes well with strong cigars. I've really gotten into Spanish wines lately.

Being raised in Upstate NY I will have to agree that they are some great wines. We always traveled to the finger lakes area from Syracuse. We'd hit up goose watch (www.goosewatch.com), sweedish hill (sweedishhill.com), and a little place called Bellwether. The make Hard apple cider. God it's great stuff. Can't wait to get back. I'll be there in June...

D


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## cigar no baka (Sep 7, 2005)

I really like Becker Vineyards Fume Blanc, and I usually don't like white wine. It's about $10 a bottle.


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## oddball (Feb 14, 2006)

The following Cabernet Sauvignons:

Beaulieu Vineyards Napa Cabernet
very good cab for $13-$15.00

Beaulieu Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet
excellent cab for $18.00

Merryvale Starmont Cabernet
excellent cab for $20.00

Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet
my everyday cheap wine for $6.00

Did I say I love Cabernet Sauvignons


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## LSUTIGER (Jan 13, 2004)

I love Cabernet Sauvignons as well. Two of my favorites are Francis Coppola and Kendall Jackson, they can be found for under $20.


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## Eternal Rider (Feb 27, 2006)

I like Covey Run Riesling $8.50 and Houge Late Harvest Riesling $9.00


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## ComicBookFreak (Sep 7, 2005)

How's this for cheap wine. Now this is meant in jest. i would never drink this stuff, but i used to work in a beer store that sold this in the early '90's. And they did call it Liquid Crack lol. eeewwww is all i can say.










Cisco
18% alc. by vol.

Cisco is bottled by the nation's second largest wine company, Canandaigua Wine Co., in Canandaigua, NY and Naples, NY - the same company as Wild Irish Rose.

Known as "liquid crack," for its reputation for wreaking more mental havoc than the cheapest tequila. Something in this syrupy hooch seems to have a synapse-blasting effect not unlike low-grade cocaine. The label insists that the ingredients are merely "citrus wine & grape wine with artificial flavor & artificial color," but anyone who has tried it knows better. Tales of Cisco-induced semi-psychotic fits are common. Often, people on a Cisco binge end up curled into a fetal ball, shuddering and muttering paranoid rants. Nudity and violence may well be involved too. Everyone who drinks this feels great at first, and claims, "It's not bad at all, I like it." But, you really do not want to mess around with this one, because they all sing a different tune a few minutes later. And by tune, I mean the psychotic ramblings of a raging naked bum.

In 1991, Cisco's tendency to cause a temporary form of inebriated insanity led the Federal Trade Commission to require its bottlers to print a warning on the label (above right). The FTC also forced them to drop their marketing slogan, "Takes You by Surprise," even though it was entirely accurate. Since those days, Cisco is harder to find outside the slums, although the FTC's demonizing of the drink only bolstered its reputation for getting people trashed. Anyone who overlooks the warning and confuses this with a casual wine cooler is going to get more than they bargained for. Cisco will make a new man out of you. And he wants some too.

Our research shows that Cisco is actually the second best tasting of the five great bum wines, especially if you're having one of those hankerings for cheap Vodka, Jello and Robitussin. We must also note that Cisco is the best of all 5 bum wines at putting the darkest and puffiest bags under your eyes. The nuclear-tinted color of "Cisco RED" is reminiscent of diesel fuel. Most Cisco flavors are named by the fruit flavor that they are trying to emulate, but the one picture is simply called "RED." This chemical disaster will get your head spinning in no time. A test subject reports, "Strawberry Cisco has a bouquet similar to that of Frankenberry cereal fermented in wine cooler with added sprinkle of brandy for presentation." The sticky, sickingly sweet taste with a hint of antifreeze really comes through in the repellant taste of Cisco. Avaliable in various flavors, 375 mL and 750mL sizes. Down a whole 750 mL and you had better be ready to clear your calendar as you suffer through Cisco's legendary 2 day hangover.:r

CBF:w


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